Head to Head Review: Finward Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWD) versus Bitcoin Depot (NASDAQ:BTM)

Bitcoin Depot (NASDAQ:BTM) and Finward Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWD) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, earnings and dividends.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

9.2% of Bitcoin Depot shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 26.6% of Finward Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. 51.8% of Bitcoin Depot shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 13.1% of Finward Bancorp shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Bitcoin Depot and Finward Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Bitcoin Depot	-0.94%	-70.95%	-5.08%
Finward Bancorp	9.72%	5.92%	0.48%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Bitcoin Depot and Finward Bancorp”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Bitcoin Depot	$614.85 million	0.01	-$6.18 million	$1.90	0.26
Finward Bancorp	$67.99 million	2.31	$8.09 million	$2.29	15.87

Finward Bancorp has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Bitcoin Depot. Bitcoin Depot is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Finward Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk and Volatility

Bitcoin Depot has a beta of 3.12, indicating that its share price is 212% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Finward Bancorp has a beta of 0.18, indicating that its share price is 82% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations for Bitcoin Depot and Finward Bancorp, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Bitcoin Depot	1	4	0	0	1.80
Finward Bancorp	0	1	2	0	2.67

Bitcoin Depot currently has a consensus target price of $4.10, suggesting a potential upside of 733.50%. Finward Bancorp has a consensus target price of $41.00, suggesting a potential upside of 12.82%. Given Bitcoin Depot’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Bitcoin Depot is more favorable than Finward Bancorp.

Summary

Finward Bancorp beats Bitcoin Depot on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Bitcoin Depot

Bitcoin Depot Inc. owns and operates a network of cryptocurrency kiosks in North America. Its customers can buy and sell bitcoin, litecoin, and ethereum cryptocurrencies using the BTM kiosk network and other services. The company also engages in the sale of cryptocurrency to consumers at a network of retail locations through its BDCheckout product offering, as well as its website through over-the-counter trade. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Bitcoin Depot Inc. is a subsidiary of BT Assets, Inc.

About Finward Bancorp

Finward Bancorp operates as the holding company for Peoples Bank that provides various banking products and services. The company’s deposit products include non-interest- and interest-bearing demand accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, certificate accounts, and retirement savings plans. Its loan products portfolio comprises residential mortgage loans that enable borrowers to purchase existing homes, refinance existing homes, or construct new homes; construction loans primarily to individuals and contractors; commercial real estate loans; consumer loans to individuals for personal, household, or family purposes; home equity line of credit; home improvement loans and equity loans; commercial business loans; government loans; and loans to municipalities. The company also offers estate and retirement planning, custodial services, guardianships, IRA accounts, and investment agency accounts, as well as serves as the personal representative of estates, and acts as trustee for revocable and irrevocable trusts. In addition, it provides insurance and annuity investments to wealth management customers; holds real estate properties; and operates as a real estate investment trust. The company was formerly known as NorthWest Indiana Bancorp and changed its name to Finward Bancorp in May 2021. Finward Bancorp was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Munster, Indiana.